
This course focuses on developing skills that are essential to deacons in the pastoral setting of pre-marriage counseling and preparation: the ability to assess and summarize various information to the sacramental nature of marriage, and the capacity to develop a pastoral care approach to the couple’s vision of the wedding. Both challenges require deacons to think purposefully and integrate various communication skills. Deacons apply these skills in several contexts: couple premarital meetings, marriage team meetings, and marriage presentations. Being able to understand and communicate fundamental marriage issues, identify the sacramental challenges, and delineate essential elements of alternatives or recommendations require a comprehensive understanding of marriage in the United States multicultural and interfaith society. Being able to develop and refine a pastoral care approach is essential in evangelizing the Church’s position on marriage and influencing newly married couples to live out a sacramental marriage. In this course, deacons learn how to analyze pre-marriage situations, purposefully develop approaches for structure and style for each couple, and construct methods to handle conflicts among couples.
This Marriage Practicum course, through which we deliver to deacons and ministry students, contributes to students' development and specifically includes working with students to improve overarching ministry objectives. The goals and outcomes of the course are based on the four-fold dimensions--spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and human. Spiritual Formation sustains a lifetime of service and advances that continual conversion of mind and heart so necessary for today’s society. Intellectual Formation assimilates professional theological education consonant to represent and apply the Church’s Tradition to today’s world. Pastoral Formation develops capacities for religious and public leadership. Human Formation involves the attainment of the maturity demanded of ordained ministry as a deacon. These dimensions are found in the National Directory of Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States. Also, students in this course gain knowledge about topics that are essential issues in ministry, specifically to this course how they relate to marriage formation.
Learning Objectives
Marriage Practicum Content
Course Materials
Required Text:
The Order of Celebrating Matrimony: Complete Set (Hardcover) (Lslf Ind Edition)
by Ave Maria Press (Autor corporativo)
Anillos, 140 Pages, Published 2016
ISBN-13 978-1 59471-723-9
Together for Life: Revised with the Order of Celebrating Matrimony
Author: Joseph M. Champlin; Peter A. Jarret C.S.C.
Year: 2016 Format: Paperback 134 pages
ISBN 13: 9781594717222 (978-1-59471-722-2)
ISBN: 1594717222 (1-59471-722-2)
During the course, other material(s) could be posted for your reading and discussion in class.
Course Schedule | TOPICS |
Modular
1 |
Introduction to the course and syllabus review.
Overview of the Course Video conference calls. |
Modular
2 |
Topics:
Spirituality and Marriage Marriage and Contemporary Spirituality |
Modular
3 |
Topics:
Marriage and Faith Traditions Wedding Stories from around the World First Assignment |
Modular
4 |
Topics:
Tribunal Letter Contemporary Challenges to Marriage |
Modular
5 |
Topics
Contemporary Challenge—Gay and Lesbian Marriage Contemporary Challenge—Domestic Violence Forum Question Video conference calls |
Modular
6 |
Topics:
Contemporary Challenge—Pornography Contemporary Challenge--Cohabitation |
Modular
7 |
Topics:
Contemporary Challenge—Hookup Culture Marriage from Catholic Perspective Forum Question |
Modular
8 |
Topic:
Catholic History of Marriage Forum Question |
Modular
9 |
Topic:
Canon Law and Marriage Forum Question |
Modular
10 |
Topic:
Communicating with the Couple Assignment Due |
Modular
11 |
Topic:
Meeting with the Couple Assignment Due |
Modular
12 |
Topics
Marriage Ministry Model Summary and Review Assignment Due Final Exam |